Chile

The Girl Who Heard the Music: How One Pianist and 85,000 Bottles of Cans Brought New Hope to an Island

The amazing true story of Mahani Teave, an award-winning pianist and environmental activist. After becoming an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, with tours around the world, Mahani never forgot the tiny island where she grew up, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, and one of the most remote. Aware of the islands environmental struggles and sustainability issues with pollution from tourism, Mahani was inspired to help save its environment and culture by creating a music school. The school was built using thousands of bottles, cans and tires in its walls, incorporating rain barrels, solar panels, and a food garden. Not only does Mahani help build a sustainable future for Rapa Nui, she also ensures the music will play on.

The Girl Who Heard the Music is the WOW Recommends book for October 2023.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

On The Edge Of The World (Stories From Latin America)

Veera and her family live in Russia on what feels like the edge of the world on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Veera spends her time devouring fantasy books, playing fetch with her dog, and longing for a friend she can share her treasures with that she keeps hidden underneath the alder bush. Lucas and his family live on the coast of Chile, which also feels like the edge of the world. Lucas spends his days looking for fossils, playing solo games of soccer, and wishing for a friend to read with him on his favorite tree branch. Written and illustrated by acclaimed author-illustrator Anna Desnitskaya, On the Edge of the World is a playful and perceptive book that illuminates the mirroring lives of two separate children in two separate places, yet share strikingly similar settings and interests.

9 Kilometers (Stories From Latin America)

As a young boy walks nine kilometers to school, he travels through the mountain and rain forest landscapes of southern Chile.

The Beach

“A day at the beach, from dawn to dusk: the award-winning Chilean illustrator Sol Undurraga shares her vision of life at a seaside town. From the fishermen and women who head out to sea at five in the morning to the bathers packing the beach at four in the afternoon, every page is a gorgeous new adventure full of fun creatures both real and imaginary. Undurraga’s striking illustrations, accompanied by brief, evocative texts, bring to life the idiosyncrasies and dynamics of a beach in Latin America … or anywhere in the world. This captivating celebration of summertime is the English-language debut of Undurraga and a beautiful, summery gift for readers of all ages”–

The Maps Of Memory: Return To Butterfly Hill

In This Inspiring Sequel To The Pura Belpré Award–winning, “dazzling And Insightful” (bccb) I Lived On Butterfly Hill, Thirteen-year-old Celeste Marconi Returns Home To A Very Different Chile And Makes It Her Mission To Rebuild Her Community, And Find Those Who Are Still Missing. During Celeste Marconi’s Time In Maine, Thoughts Of The Brightly Colored Cafes And Salty Air Of Valparaíso, Chile, Carried Her Through Difficult, Homesick Days. Now, She’s Finally Returned Home To Find The Dictatorship Has Left Its Mark On Her Once Beautiful And Vibrant Community. Celeste Is Determined To Help Her Beloved Butterfly Hill Get Back To The Way It Was And To Encourage Her Neighbors To Fight To Regain What They’ve Lost. More Than Anything, Celeste Wishes She Could Bring Back Her Best Friend, Lucilla, Who Was One Of Many To Disappear During The Dictatorship. Celeste Tries To Piece Together What Happened, But It All Seems Too Big To Fix—until She Receives A Letter That Changes Everything. When Celeste Sets Off On Her Biggest Adventure Yet, She’ll Uncover More Heartbreaking Truths Of What Her Country Has Endured. But Every Small Victory Makes A Difference, And Even If Butterfly Hill Can Never Be What It Was, Moving Forward And Healing Can Make It Something Even Better.

I Lived On Butterfly Hill

Celeste Marconi is a dreamer. She lives peacefully among friends and neighbors and family in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile—until the time comes when even Celeste, with her head in the clouds, can’t deny the political unrest that is sweeping through the country. Warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates disappear from class without a word. Celeste doesn’t quite know what is happening, but one thing is clear: no one is safe, not anymore.